Children in England will no longer be given puberty blockers in the public health system for gender dysphoria due to a recent decision from the National Health Service.
The public health center says that this decision is due to a lack of research. Indeed, puberty blockers have never been approved to treat gender dysphoria. They were developed to treat precocious puberty. When used for dysphoria, they have been associated with “thinning and brittle bones, teeth that shed enamel or cracked, degenerative spinal disks, painful joints, radical mood swings, seizures, migraines and suicidal thoughts, fibromyalgia, fertility problems and cognitive issues.”
The NHS says that a clinical trial of puberty blockers for gender dysphoria will begin next year. How can they ethically trial that knowing that one group can be harmed?
Children in the UK can still recieve puberty blockers through private health programs.